The enzymes were successfully tested at the demonstration plant before qualifying the DSM as the supplier of the enzymes.
DSM’s cocktail of enzymes can break down the cellulose and hemicellulose from the straw fibers and convert them into simple C5 and C6 sugars.
Inbicon R&D head Jan Larsen said the DSM enzyme cocktail has performed successfully in the Inbicon process at demonstration scale.
"It showed the same high yield as was obtained in pilot scale. This cocktail has both a broad pH range and high temperature tolerance which make DSM’s enzymes very favorable for industrial production of cellulosic bio-ethanol at high dry matters," Larsen said.
"The technical reports and analysis from the test program are now finalized and we conclude that the DSM enzymes are now qualified for the Inbicon process."
The cocktail of enzymes breaks down the cellulosic biomass to component sugars at higher operating temperatures, decreasing the amount of enzyme needed and increasing the process speed.
DSM’s enzymes were tested by research institutes and company labs across the globe to be working across multiple feedstocks, including corn crop residue, wheat straw, wood chips and sugarcane bagasse.
The tests were carried out in mild to harsh process to prove the versatility of the enzymes and to break down the crop residue which is the first phase of the conversion process towards cellulosic bio-ethanol.
